Stakeout
by The Loser Lord
Summary: SasuSaku ; Faux SasuIno. 'You're annoying'; 'Oh, shut up'.


**A/N: I wanted to leave a new oneshot for the New Year's hope you like it! BTW: WATCH MY VIDEO PODCAST ON YOUTUBE. THE LINK'S ON MY PAGE (:**

Disclaimer: Eff to the H naw, I don't own Naruto.

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**Stakeout  
**by: yukkeh (kirei na yukki)

"Hey, Sakura? Would you mind if _I_ took Sasuke-kun out for a date?" Sakura looked up, her emerald-green eyes shining confusion. "Eh?" Sakura stared back at her best friend, Ino.

Ino blushed and rubbed the back of her head with her hand, "Erm...can...I take...erm...Sasuke-kun out for a...um, a.... - " she struggled to repeat the unspoken word, for fear of Sakura's reaction.

"A date?" Sakura finished, cocking a delicate brow. The darkened flush that emerged onto Ino's cheeks immediately gave her away. Sakura merely shrugged and turned back to the medical book she was currently studying, "I don't see why not. And why do you need my permission? Its not like I'm Sasuke's mother or anything." she added.

Sasuke had returned to Konoha about six months ago, with his team mates Juugo, Suigetsu, and Karin. Though most of Konoha was skeptical of Sasuke returning to Konoha free of any punishment, Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, and surprisingly, Sai reassured that it would be alright. Ever since then, he had been slowly reverting into the calm, collected shinobi he once was, rather than the heartless monster he had turned into.

Ino gaped at Sakura, "Its _okay_? Since when are you so uninterested?" Ino demanded, emphasizing the 'okay'. Sakura laughed and flipped a page, "Its not that...our relationship has just changed. We see each other as good friends and respectable shinobi, as equals."

Sakura stopped her reading briefly to glance at her best friend, who was still gaping at her like a fish, "That means you can go out with him, do whatever. I'm his friend, not his boss or anything. Gosh, Ino. But, thanks for considering my feelings first."

-

Despite her positive answer, Sakura was not one-hundred percent ready to see Sasuke with anyone else. Ino's question had quickened her pulse, giving Sakura the urge to twitch and grimace. Did she still harbor feelings for him?

Sakura had no clue, but she wasn't going to become a weak follower. It wasn't the shinobi path. Sakura thought about this carefully as she crossed another wooden bridge in the heart of the reborn Konoha. Blue birds glided past her and she smiled at the freedom she felt from her intense emotions. Sure, it kept the team bound to Sasuke, but now that he's back, she felt liberated.

The cobblestone road Sakura's zori clogged on ran to an end; she crossed onto the greenest patches of grass to reach her destination. There, she found who she was looking for.

"Hey Sakura-chan!" Naruto grinned widely and ran over to greet Team 7's sole female shinobi. Sakura smiled back and waved to him in acknowledgement. They walked back to their bridge, where Sasuke was. His tall frame was leaning against the railing of the bridge, his dark, thoughtful eyes peering into the streaming river.

He was thinking.

For a moment, Sakura's pulse quickened once more. Had Ino mustered up enough courage to ask him out? Sakura's heart thumped louder and louder at the thought of them _together_. As children, Sasuke didn't say anything more than an impolite 'hn' to Ino, so why would he accept her request now that they're older?

How much have we changed? Sakura thought grimly.

Her frozen, silent form caught the attention of the thoughtful Uchiha; he turned around, one hand still on the railing and cocked a brow at Sakura, who was still deep in horrified thought.

"Hn," he sighed and turned away from Sakura. His actions slowly processed themselves in Sakura's brain and she stopped breathing all together. Maybe it _was_ true...

"No..." she whispered, not meaning for it to be heard. Naruto looked up at his female comrade and Sasuke turned again. Her eyes were wide; her mouth twisted into a pained grimace. "No..."

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto called, his tone was cautious. Sasuke looked intensely at Sakura, questioning her with his eyes. She gazed back at him, cursing her stupid heart to the depths...

'_I'm jealous_' she came to realize.

'_Oh no. No, no, no, no, **hell no' **_she cursed over and over again, _'I like him again. Shit._

"Sakura." Sasuke's deep, vibrating voice penetrated her concentration. Green eyes snapped up to meet unfathomable obsidian. "W-What?" she stammered, controling her heart and stomach; they mercilessly assulted her as she took in the sight of Sasuke's beauty.

Sasuke opened his mouth, ready to say something, but of course, someone interrupted. "SASUKE! SASUKE-KUN!"

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**Stakeout: Ichiraku**

**7:02pm - This is why I'm here right now.  
7:09pm - Why did he frickin' say _yes_? Why did I frickin' say no to Ino?  
7:11pm - Ichiraku? I thought Ino had more taste than _that_.  
7:13pm - I can't HEAR them!  
7:19pm - She _so_ wants to feed him his noodles. My, my am I becoming _malicious_?  
7:23pm - They barely talk.  
7:27pm - Why does she like him again?**

**Stakeout: Night club**

**7:29pm - Oh no, they're getting up! Did I mask my chakra well enough?  
7:30pm - We have _clubs_ in Konoha? And I thought gambling holes were bad.  
8:00pm - Sasuke doesn't _dance_.  
8:01pm - Cat fight over Sasuke! Look, Naruto's choking on his sake!  
8:05pm - Am I the _only_ one not at this _club_?  
8:09pm - Sasuke really doesn't look like he's having fun.  
8:13pm - Ino wants him to dance with her! I can't watch! I can't watch!  
8:15pm - And...Sai offered to dance with her!  
8:20pm - I'm sleepy...  
8:35pm - Shit, Sasuke just saw me. Run away, run away, run away....**

**Stakeout: BUSTED**

**8:45pm - I can feel his chakra. Perhaps I should go home?  
8:49pm - LET'S PRETEND TO SLEEP.  
8:53pm - Oh good, he just turned a corner.**

**Stakeout: REALLY BUSTED **

**9:00pm - Damn. It.  
9:01pm - In my house, sitting in my living room. He's smirking. What. The. Hell?  
9:04pm - I suppose you don't know any excuses, do you? Because I'm SCREWED.**

**-**

"It wasn't me!" Sakura threw her hands up defensively. Sasuke's dark eyes shone dangerously in the dim lighting of her living room. He took one good look at her and to her surprise, he chuckled.

Sakura reeled on the inside; his laugh was perhaps the most beautiful sound she had ever heard. "I wasn't going to accuse you of anything," he told her matter-of-factly.

"Oh," she responded. Sakura shifted her feet a bit before deciding to settle on the seat next to Sasuke, since it was the only one available: Naruto and Sai had busted up her recliner and loveseat playing rock, paper, scissors. She was so close to him, she felt his body heat: she yearned to be in his arms for the first time in his return.

Sasuke's eyes wondered over to her nervous figure. She shook with anticipation and could only find comfort in twisting her long, pale fingers together. Sasuke rolled his eyes and turned towards her.

"You're so _annoying_," he said at last. Sakura turned to him and saw the playful gesture immediately. She grinned and scooted closer to his side; she slapped his stomach in return and kept her hand at his other side in a one-armed embrace. Sasuke watched Sakura as her head lay on his chest, she scoffed.

"Shut up."

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**10:24pm - Ino just called my house. _And_ she's drunk. Apparently, her and Sai are playing strip poker at Naruto's.  
10:27pm - Naruto just lost the game.  
10:30pm - Sasuke is so cute when he sleeps.**

-

Back at Naruto's house, Ino, Sai, and Naruto sat in a circle, holding playing cards. All three flushed shinobi hiccuped with giggles. "I win again, bitches!" Ino drunkenly announced, "Hell, I'm _amazing_ at betting. And you two bastards still owe me 23,000 freaking ryo because you lost that shit!"

Naruto covered his mouth, stifling another hiccup, "Damn it! Sakura said she's never going back to that bastard again!"

Sai looked over at Naruto's pink face. "_I'm _still here for you, Naruto."

-

**11:00pm - Naruto just rasengan-ed. Good night.**

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End.

Happy New Year's.

januaryFOURTHtwentyten: Like I said, YOUTUBE ACCOUNT W/ A PODCAST THAT YOU'D WANT TO WATCH. And I'm rooting for SasuSaku ending in the _real_ Naruto. Gawsh, when are they going ot get Sakura to kick Sasuke's bootay already? GET 'EM, GUUUURRRL.

Reviews? Oh, and FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER. :D  
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ThankYOUmuchANDwithLOVE; yukkeh.


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